Monday, 6 July 2015

Kumbhalgarh Fort – The Great Wall of India

The wall that surrounds the ancient fort of “Kumbhalgarh” is one of the
best-kept secrets in India, located 84 kilometer north of Udaipur, in
the state of Rajasthan, in western India. The fort which the wall
surrounds is built high on a hill and dominates the landscape, being
more than 1000 meters above sea level. It is protecting a huge fort that
contains over 300 ancient temples, as you may expect this being India.
It was hoped, of course, that because of the protection of the wall,
violence could be avoided simply because any advancing enemies might not
be able to penetrate it. The wall was constructed half a millennium ago
in tandem with “Kumbhalgarh Fort” itself, the second most significant
citadel after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. The Kumbhalgarh fort is
surrounded by a perimeter wall that is an amazing 36 kilometer long, and
varies in width from 15-25 feet. The ancient fort was built during the
15th century by Maharana Kumbha and is one of 32 forts built by the
Rajput ruler of the Mewar kingdom. The history claims that 8 horses
could ride side by side over it.

Though there’re several massive
walls constructed by rulers to defend their kingdoms, building such a
large protective boundary around a single fort was unheard of. However,
there’s no wonder, the gigantic wall at Kumbhalgarh took almost a
century to construct and made the fort impregnable. Although several
claim it would be second longest continuous wall after the Great Wall of
China. Several legends refer it to called “The Great Wall of India”.
Therefore, the unassailable Fort boasts of seven gigantic gates and
seven ramparts strengthened by rounded bastions and massive watchtowers.
Moreover inside the defensive walls there’re more than 360 Jain and
Hindu temples and a wonderful palace at its pinnacle aptly named “Badal
Mahal” or the Palace of Cloud? Well, from the palace top, it is likely
to see several kilometers into the Aravalli Range and the sand dunes of
the popular “Thar Desert” can also be seen from here. According to some
famous folklore, Maharana Kumbha used to burn huge lamps that consumed
50 kilograms of ghee and 100 kilograms of cotton to provide light for
the farmers who worked during the nights in the valley.

So,
tourists should beware of this piece of history, though tempting and
well-preserved, is not well-trafficked. Although the remoteness and
potential to have miles of ruins all to oneself is attractive to plenty
of off-the-beaten-path travelers, but the walls are strong and tall, the
hard stones, and though various traps and defensive mechanisms along
the wall and fort have been deactivated, that does not mean fortunes
cannot happen. Throughout the over five hundred years of its history,
the fortress fell in to enemy hands only once and this was only because
the drinking water ran out within its walls. Yet notwithstanding its
size and its history, the Great Wall of India remains somewhat of a
mystery to those outside of India. Actually, travelers are warned that
approximately the lesser travelled areas of the wall should not be
climbed. Ancient defense mechanisms and traps, though mostly disabled,
are still assumed to exist in some of its more distant positions.
Therefore, those wishing to explore the miles of ruins on their own are
warned that accidents can happen.